Hollywood closes its doors on 75 years of history

Woodmans Luck, who has suffered some narrow losses in his career, got up in time in a poignant Hollywood ending (Benoit Photos) What Valley Lass started on June 10, 1938, was finished Sunday by Woodmans Luck when Hollywood Park wrapped 75 years of history with the conclusion of the 2013 autumn meet. A two-year-old California-bred filly, Valley Lass was the first horse to win a race at Hollywood Park more than 75 1/2 years ago. Woodmans Luck, a five-year-old Lucky Pulpit gelding also bred in the state, was the last winner in the illustrious history of the legendary track, edging Depreciable by a nose after a thrilling stretch run put a cap to Sunday’s farewell 11-race program. In a $57,750 starter allowance for older horses on turf named the Auld Lang Syne, Woodmans Luck, who is owned by David and Holly Wilson and trained by Vladimir Cerin, earned his first win since 2010 with a nose decision under jockey Corey Nakatani. It was the 1,202nd win at Hollywood Park for Nakatani, leaving him eighth on the all-time list, and a victory he will cherish.

“Well, I made history. I won the last race and got the last set of days (he
received a three-day suspension from the stewards earlier Sunday) at Hollywood
Park. Kind of bittersweet,” Nakatani said. “That was really emotional. It’s hard
to really say that much. This has always been such a great place to be. After
winning a bunch of races here, it’s hard to see it go. It’s pretty sad.”

The field thundered down the famed Hollywood turf for the final time before the lights were turned off forever (Benoit Photos) Cerin shared the same sentiment. “I almost would have taken a four-horse dead-heat there and let everyone have a piece of the last race,” he said. “When they were coming down the stretch, all I could think of his how sad that it was over. “It’s almost hard to enjoy the win when you think this is the last race at this race track. When I started training here, I think it took me a year to win my first race and to have it end like this just seems surreal.” Valley Lass was honored with a race of her own earlier in the afternoon. A $57,000 starter allowance for fillies and mares on grass, the Valley Lass went as the 3RD on the card and was taken by Tanquerray, a 5-1 shot ridden by Nakatani. An enthusiastic crowd helped send Hollywood Park into the sunset. The paid on-track attendance was 13,283, but thousands more made their way into the legendary facility after admission became free shortly before the 4TH race was made official.

Before the 11-race card was completed some 5 1/2 hours after
it began, California Chrome, the 2-1 favorite, became the last stakes winner in
Hollywood Park history, rolling to a 6 1/4-length victory in the $200,500
King
Glorious, which was restricted to two-year-olds bred or sired in
California.

Owned by breeders Steve Coburn and Martin Perry, the son of
Lucky Pulpit is trained by Art Sherman,
who has spent nearly 60 years at Hollywood Park as an exercise rider, jockey and
trainer.

The look on winning rider Corey Nakatani’s face says it all (Benoit Photos) Sherman often galloped Swaps, considered the greatest California-bred of all and immortalized in a statue that has stood at Hollywood Park, where the son of Khaled earned 10 of his 19 wins, since 1958. “It brings back a lot of memories for me,” said Sherman, 76. “It’s a special thing for me to be able to win here at Hollywood Park. I started here as a young kid and rode my first race when I was 18 in 1955. “Going back through the years we had a lot of fun with the big crowds and the great horses. It’s fitting for me, but I feel very sad. “This horse was training excellent for this race and he loves this track. He’s a nice colt, he just needs to grow up now. I think you’ll see his best races as a three-year-old.” In winning for the third time in seven starts, California Chrome, who was ridden by Victor Espinoza, completed the seven furlongs over the Cushion Track in 1:22. He doubled his earnings to $214,850 and now boasts a 7-3-1-0 career mark that also includes a triumph in Del Mar’s Graduation Stakes.

It was the fourth stakes win of the autumn meet for
Espinoza, tying him with Rafael Bejarano and Corey Nakatani for the lead among
riders.

“It’s fun to win the last stakes
here. One extra memory of Hollywood Park. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs here,
but this is where I started,” Espinoza said. “When I moved to California, this is where I won my
first race. I’ve won a lot of big races at this track.”

California Chrome romped in Hollywood’s last stakes, eliciting a final “straight and strong” from track announcer Vic Stauffer (Benoit Photos) Life Is a Joy, the 9-2 fourth choice in the field of 10 — reduced by the scratch of Mass Transit — finished second, a half-length in front of 5-2 third choice Pray Hard. Both the runner-up and the third-place finisher are trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, who set an autumn meet record Saturday when Swiss Lake Yodeler gave him a seventh stakes win with a victory in the Soviet Problem. Besides being the runaway leader in stakes wins, Hollendorfer was also tops in earnings ($1,402,270) at the meet. In its final 27-day season, the legendary Hollywood Park showed a gain in field size. The average field size in 2013 was 8.15 starters per race compared to 7.89 a year ago and 7.33 in 2011. Complete handle and Southern California attendance figures will be available in the near future.

“With the conclusion of the final meet, we’d like to
express our thanks and gratitude to all employees, horsemen, jockeys, owners —
past and present — and, most of all, our loyal customers who have helped make
Hollywood Park an extremely special place,” Hollywood Park President Jack Liebau
said.

Shared Belief, a two-year-old gelded son of Candy Ride, was
definitely the star of the climactic meet, rolling to impressive wins in the
Grade 3 Hollywood Prevue on November 10 and the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity on December
14.

Owned by a large partnership that includes radio and
television personality Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing LLC and his Hall of Fame trainer Hollendorfer, Shared Belief
was a unanimous selection as Horse of the Meet in the annual
media poll, was chosen top two-year-old and two-year-old male, and established himself as the early favorite for the 2014 Kentucky
Derby.

The other Grade 1 winners during the season, which began
November 7, were Streaming, who was honored as the two-year-old filly of the
meet after taking the Hollywood Starlet on December 7 at 10-1 for Hall
of Fame trainer Bob Baffert; European shipper Seek Again, who rallied along the
rail to capture the Hollywood Derby on December 1; and Egg Drop, who battled back gamely
the same day to defeat Discreet Marq by a nose in the closest Matriarch in
history.

Owned by breeder Juddmonte Farms, Seek Again gave John
Gosden his first Hollywood Derby success in 30 years. Long one of the best
trainers in the world, the English-born Gosden won with the brilliant filly
Royal Heroine in 1983.

Other top horses at the meet include Broken Sword, who led throughout to take the
December 7 Bayakoa Stakes
and was honored as three-year-old filly; Blueskiesnrainbows as older male; and
Majestic Stride, who won the Grade 3 Vernon O. Underwood Stakes Nov. 28, as
sprinter.

Seek Again and Egg Drop won double honors. Seek Again was three-year-old and
three-year-old male while Egg Drop was older female and female turf horse.

In a close vote, Julio’s Gold was selected claimer after winning against $16,000 stock
on November 24 before stepping up to the $25,000
level and winning on turf December 20.

Glen Hill Farm and the partnership of Mike Pegram, Karl
Watson and Paul Weitman shared the top spot in the owners’ standings with four
wins. The partnership headed by Jungle Racing LLC, Hollendorfer and George
Todaro led with earnings of $375,000.

Hall of Famer Bob Baffert won his second autumn training
title in a row — and fourth overall — finishing with 16 wins, one more than John
Sadler, who led the 2013 spring/summer meet.

Although he had to settle for third in the King Glorious, Bejarano won four times Sunday, clinching his sixth local riding title and
second at an autumn meet. He finished with 37 wins, three more than runner-up
Joe Talamo, who doubled on the final day. Bejarano, who shared the 2013 spring/summer
title with Edwin Maldonado, was also the earnings leader ($1,684,618).

“It feels great to win the title,” Bejarano said. “It means
a lot to me. When I came back to the winner’s circle (after winning the 9TH with
Ashley’s Bambino), I could hear everyone cheering and I was just so happy.”

Gonzalo Nicolas, who won nine races, was chosen apprentice.

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